The next day, Mizuha went to class as usual. She had already adjusted to her new school and felt comfortable with the friends she had made.
When the break bell rang, Mizuha thought about inviting Shimizu to join her, Hikaru, and Zul for lunch.
It would be nice if Shimizu joined us. We could all get to know each other better.
But when she looked around, she saw Shimizu quickly leaving the classroom with a book and some supplies.
Shimizu moved in a hurry, nearly bumping into other students.
Later, as Mizuha sat down to eat, Hikaru arrived and joined her and Zul.
They ate and talked together. Hikaru noticed Mizuha seemed a little off.
"Is something wrong, Mizuha? You seem worried about something."
Mizuha shook her head and quietly forced a smile. "It’s nothing, really. Don’t worry about me."
After they finished eating, there was still plenty of time before the next class began. With Hikaru already returned to his class, Mizuha went to explore her new school a bit more.
I’ve always wondered what the rooftop looks like.
It might be a nice place to relax and see the school from a different perspective.
She made her way to the rooftop. When she arrived and opened the door to the rooftop, she felt amazed. The sight of the campus with its neatly arranged buildings and greenery was impressive.
As she stepped further out, the spring wind gently blew her hair, bringing calm.
This breeze felt so refreshing, Mizuha reflected, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy it.
It’s like the perfect place to clear my mind.
With a deep breath, she let the peaceful atmosphere surround her.
I should come up here more often. It’s such a perfect spot to relax.
As she enjoyed the view, she suddenly heard someone mumbling to themselves.
Is somebody else here? She wondered.
She looked around and walked toward the source of the mumbling.
Shimizu? What is she doing there? Is she writing something?
Mizuha slowly approached Shimizu. "Shimizu, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, just writing some... hmm, wargh, Mizuha? What are you doing here? I thought you were eating in the classroom."
"Yes, it’s done already. I’m just taking a walk here."
"So, what are you writing?"
Shimizu was hiding the book and embarrassed. "Don’t look at it."
Mizuha was surprised by Shimizu’s reaction. She hadn’t meant to intrude, but her curiosity grew.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude."
"It’s okay if you don’t want to show me."
Shimizu’s face was still red as she clutched the book tightly to her chest.
"It’s... it’s nothing important."
Mizuha couldn’t help but smile at Shimizu’s shyness.
"It’s okay. You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to. I just didn’t expect to find anyone else up here."
Shimizu seemed to relax a little at Mizuha’s words.
"Because you’re my friend, I will show it to you. Here, read it, but only a little, okay?"
"Really!? Thank you."
Mizuha carefully took the book and began reading. The words on the page immediately captivated her.
As she read, she felt emotional, touched by the depth of the story.
"Wow, Shimizu, this story is really amazing."
"It moved me to tears. It’s a light novel story. Why don’t you publish it? I think it could be a hit!"
Shimizu blushed at the praise, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Well, actually," she began, her voice soft but tinged with excitement, "I’ve already debuted my first chapter. This is the manuscript for the next chapter."
"Eh? You’ve already debuted your own novel? Congratulations!" Mizuha said, reaching out to grasp Shimizu’s hands in her excitement. "That’s incredible!"
Shimizu smiled. "Thanks. I’ll work hard to make it even better."
Then, her expression turned serious. "But Mizuha, can you keep this a secret? I don’t want others to know about it just yet."
Mizuha nodded solemnly. "Of course, I won’t tell anyone. It’ll be our secret," she promised. Without hesitation, she extended her pinky finger. "Let’s make it a pinky promise."
Shimizu linked her pinky with Mizuha’s, sealing their pact.
"This is our promise!" they declared together.
With the wind still blowing, Mizuha closed her eyes slightly.
"This breeze feels very comfortable and relaxing."
"Right!? That’s why I chose this place to find inspiration for my novel."
Mizuha’s eyes lit up. "Ah, I’ve got an idea."
"From tomorrow, why don’t we eat lunch here? It’s such a nice place to relax and enjoy our food."
"Oh, that’s a great idea, Mizuha! It must feel good eating lunch here."
The two girls laughed together, their newfound friendship growing stronger with each passing moment. The sound of the school bell interrupted their laughter, signaling the end of break time.
As they made their way down from the rooftop, both of them talking together, they got interrupted by someone bumping into Mizuha from behind. The person fell backward, landing hard on the floor.
"Hey, are you okay?" Mizuha reached out. "Let me help you."
The girl on the floor looked up, nervous. "I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going," she said, accepting Mizuha’s hand.
As Mizuha helped her up, Shimizu stepped forward.
"Oh, it’s you, Sakamoto-san."
"What’s wrong? Your uniform looks soaked. Are you okay?"
The girl, Sakamoto Eri, was surprised by Shimizu’s approach.
"Erk—I’m sorry!!" The girl flinched, then turned and hurried away.
Shimizu sighed. "Ah... she ran away from me again."
"Do you know her?"
Shimizu nodded. "She’s our classmate, Sakamoto Eri, the one who sits at the front center of our class.
She’s a very shy girl, and I’ve noticed she’s always alone at school. I’ve tried to befriend her before, but...it never works, haha. She seems scared of me."
Mizuha frowned slightly.
As they continued walking to the classroom, she couldn’t help but wonder about the mysterious Eri and why her uniform was soaked.
The next day, Shimizu went to the school rooftop as they had promised to eat together yesterday. She found a spot and set up her lunch, feeling excited about their new lunchtime spot.
Meanwhile, Mizuha had to stop by the cafeteria to buy her food. As she waited in line, she glanced at the time and realized she might be late.
After buying her food, Mizuha hurried to the rooftop. She arrived slightly out of breath and apologized to Shimizu for being late.
Shimizu said she was okay and told Mizuha not to worry about it.
Just then, Shimizu noticed Hikaru and Zul standing behind Mizuha, holding their own lunches. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey, why did you bring these two guys with you too?"
Mizuha turned to Shimizu, scratching her head sheepishly.
"Well, Hikaru and Zul saw me heading up here and asked where I was going. I told them about our new lunch spot, and they wanted to join us. I hope you don’t mind."
Hikaru stepped forward, grinning.
"Yeah, we thought it would be fun to have lunch together. The more, the merrier, right?"
Shimizu blinked in surprise at the unexpected addition to their lunch group.
She sighed. "Well, I guess it’s fine. The more, the merrier, like that guy said — Hikaru, right? Understood, let’s enjoy our lunch together."
"Oh, you know about me already?"
"Of course. The famous guy every girl talks about — I’ve heard them talk about you so many times."
Zul smiled. "Just like before, huh, Hikaru?"
"But… are you two okay eating with me here? You know how people treat me because of my appearance."
"I’m okay with it. I don’t trust rumors or anything like that."
Mizuha nodded. "He’s right. Who cares what they say? You can’t judge a book by its cover."
She felt thankful for their words.
"You two, thanks for saying that."
After being motivated by that, she suddenly stood up.
"From today, this is our eating spot. We’ll eat here every day if the weather is good. Who agrees with me, raise your hand!"
They all laughed as they raised their hands in agreement. Even Zul, the quietest among them, raised his hand.
As they settled into their lunch, chatting about classes and upcoming events, Zul spotted movement below.
"Huh? Is that Eri? Where is she going? Why does she always leave during break without telling me anything? This is strange…"
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